Massachusetts School Redesign Grant Cohort VI – Scoring Rubric

SRG Application Review Components

Component / Process
Part 1:Review of Written Turnaround Plan / 3-person review teams (1 external reviewer, 2 internal ESE reviewers) read the written turnaround plan and develop a team score based on Scoring Rubric, generate questions and identify rubric items to be addressed in interview, and ensure proposal meets all federal requirements for the selected SRG model
Part 2: Budget Review / Internal SRG Budget review based on Scoring Rubric
Part 3: School and District Interview / 3-person interview teams (1 external reviewer, 2 internal ESE reviewers) conducts a 2-hour school and district interview for each application and come to a team score based on Scoring Rubric

SRGApplication Review Dimensions

Each component of aSRG application for an eligible school will be reviewed along three rubric dimensions.

Dimension / Explanation
Capacity and Commitment / The extent to which the district and school demonstrate the capacity and commitment to use School Redesign Grant funds to support the Turnaround Plan and the successful implementation of the identified intervention model and strategies.
Data Analysis and Selection of Supports and Intervention Model / The extent to which the Turnaround Plan is based on a detailed analysis of current, accurate, and precise data, including but not limited to state assessments, educator data, and other student data. The extent to which the proposed intervention model and district support strategies are based upon an analysis of data.
Strategic and Actionable Approach / The extent to which the Turnaround Plan displays a strategic and well-thought out approach that will lead to rapid and sustainable improvement in targeted schools. A strategic and actionable plan includes, but is not limited to: (1) a theory of action or logic model, (2) key strategies and action steps that together affect each Turnaround Practice, and (3) specific benchmarks to track progress and a strategy for monitoring progress.

Scoring Criteria:

All School Redesign Grant (SRG) written applications and interviews are scored against the following rubrics. Applications must receive a total combined score of at least 75 (out of 100) to be considered for funding.

School Redesign Grant (SRG) Rubric Levels

Each element within each dimension described above will be rated using the following scale.

Level / Explanation / Points
Strong / The response is clear, complete, and provides detailed, compelling evidence (including supporting documentation as appropriate) that meets the criteria listed in the rubric dimension. / 4
Adequate / The response is clear, complete, and provides some evidence, that meets the criteria listed in the rubric dimension. / 3
Marginal* / The response is partially complete and provides only limited evidence that meets the criteria listed in the rubric dimension. / 2
Weak* / The response is incomplete and lacks evidence that meets the criteria listed in the rubric dimension. / 1
Absent* / No response or evidence is provided that addresses the criteria listed in the rubric dimension. / 0

*If any rubric items are “marginal,” “weak” or “absent” during the review of the Turnaround Plan and Budget Review, those rubric items will move to the interview portion of the review process where school and district leaders will have the opportunity to provide additional information on rubric items that were not sufficiently addressed.

Required Elements

Capacity and Commitment
Scoring Criteria: The extent to which the district and schooldemonstrate the capacity and commitment to use School Redesign Grant funds to support the Turnaround Plan and the successful implementation of the identified intervention model and strategies.
Strong - 4 / Adequate - 3 / Marginal - 2 / Weak - 1
1:
Turnaround Plan Executive Summary / The overall rationale for school turnaround and key strategies that will be used to accelerate improvement in each turnaround practice are clearly described. / The overall rationale for school turnaround and key strategies that will be used to accelerateimprovement in each turnaround practice are generally described. / The overall rationale for school turnaround and key strategies that will be used to accelerateimprovement in each turnaround practice are vaguely described. / The overall rationale and key strategies that will be used to accelerate improvement in each turnaround practice are unclear.
2:
District Support / The plan provides a compelling and detailed description of how existing or new district resources, initiatives, technical support, and professional development will be allocated to and aligned with the needs of the school. / The plan provides a generaldescription of how existing or new district resources, initiatives, technical support, and professional development will be allocated to and aligned with the needs of the school. / The plan provides a marginal description of how existing or new district resources, initiatives, technical support and professional development will be allocated to and aligned with the needs of the school, but there may be gaps or areas of misalignment. / The plan provides a partial or weak description of how existing or new district, initiatives, technical support and professional development will be allocated to and aligned with the needs of the school.
3:
District Capacity / The plan provides a detaileddescription of how the district has the ability and full complement ofnecessary authorities to support the principal’s implementation of the Turnaround Plan, including those related to principal/teacher evaluation, increased learning time, and school-level operational flexibilities (budget and staffing). Detailed evidence is provided that affected collective bargaining units are supportive of the Turnaround Plan. / The plan provides a general description of how the district has the ability and necessary authorities to support the principal’s implementation of the Turnaround Plan, including those related to principal/teacher evaluation, increased learning time, and school-level operational flexibilities (budget and staffing). General evidence is provided that affected collective bargaining units are supportive of the Turnaround Plan. / The plan provides a marginal or partial description of how the district has the ability and necessary authorities to support the principal’s implementation of the Turnaround Plan, including those related to principal/teacher evaluation, increased learning time, and school-level operational flexibilities (budget and staffing). Limited evidence is provided that affected collective bargaining units are supportive of the Turnaround Plan. / The plan provides little to no description of how the district has the ability and necessary authorities to support the principal’s implementation of the Turnaround Plan. Limited or no evidence is provided that affected collective bargaining units are supportive of the Turnaround Plan.
4:
School Leadership / The plan provides a detailed description of how the principal has the necessary competencies and experience to lead a successful school turnaround effort, including student performance data from previous school(s). If a new principal has yet to be chosen, the plan describes in detail how the district will recruit, screen and select a school leader that has a proven track record of rapidly advancing student achievement in a low-performing school. / The plan generally describes how the principal has the necessary competencies and experience to lead a successful school turnaround effort. If a new principal has yet to be chosen, the plan generally describes how the district will recruit, screen and select a school leader that has a proven track record of rapidly advancing student achievement in a low-performing school. / The plan demonstrates the district’s commitment to ensuring strong leadership at the school, but does not provide sufficient detail as to how it will recruit, screen and/or select a school leader with a proven track record of rapidly advancing student achievement in a low-performing school. / The plan provides limited evidence that the district has a sufficient process for recruiting, screening, and selecting a proven turnaround leader for the school.
Strong - 4 / Adequate - 3 / Marginal - 2 / Weak – 1
5:
High-Quality Instructional Staff / The plan describes in detail how the district and/or school leadership will assess the will and skill of current staff to ensure the right instructional staff are in the right positions to successfully implement the Turnaround Plan AND describes in detail how the district and/or school leadership will recruit, screen and select high-quality instructional staff at the school to successfully implement the Turnaround Plan and the selected intervention model. / The plan generally describes how the district and/or school leadership will assess the will and skill of current staff to ensure the right instructional staff are in the right positions to successfully implement the Turnaround Plan AND generally describes how the district and/or school leadership will recruit, screen and select high-quality instructional staff at the school to successfully implement the selected intervention model. / The plan generally describes how the district and/or school leadership will assess the will and skill of current staff to ensure the right instructional staff are in the right positions to successfully implement the Turnaround Plan OR generally describes how the district and/or school leadership will recruit, screen and select high-quality instructional staff at the school to successfully implement the selected intervention model. / The plan provides limited evidence that the district and/or school leadership has a sufficient process for recruiting, screening, and selecting high-quality instructional staff at the school to successfully implement the Turnaround Plan and selected intervention model.
6:
External Partners / The plan describes in detail how the district will recruit, screen and select external partners AND describes in detail systems/structures for coordinating and holding external providers accountable for meeting agreed-upon performance benchmarks. / The plan generally describes how the district will recruit, screen and select external partners AND generally describes systems/structures for coordinating and holding external providers accountable for meeting agreed-upon performance benchmarks. / The plan generally describes how the district will recruit, screen and select external partners OR generally describes systems/structures for coordinating and holding external providers accountable for meeting agreed-upon performance benchmarks. / The plan provides limited evidence of how the district will recruit, screen and select external partners and how they will be held accountable to agreed-upon performance benchmarks.
7: Stakeholder Input / The plan provides a detailed description, including LSG recommendations, of how the district and school have gathered input from stakeholders to inform the Turnaround Plan AND how input from stakeholders will be used to support the continued implementation of the Turnaround Plan. / The plan provides a general description, including LSG recommendations, of how the district and school gathered input from stakeholders to inform the Turnaround Plan AND how input from stakeholders will be used to support the continued implementation of the Turnaround Plan. / The plan contains a brief statement that the district and school collected information from stakeholders to inform the Turnaround Plan, but it is unclear how input from stakeholders will be used to support the continued implementation of the Turnaround Plan. / It is unclear if the district and school collected information from stakeholders to inform the Turnaround Plan and how input from stakeholders will be used to support the continued implementation of the Turnaround Plan.
8:
School Teams / The plan provides a detailed description of each school-level team (i.e. instructional leadership team, data team, etc.) including a detailed explanation of how each team will support the management of the school’s Turnaround Plan, and how the work of all teams will be integrated to work together coherently. / The plan provides a general description of each school-level team (i.e. instructional leadership team, data team, etc.) including a general explanation of how each team will support the management of the school’s Turnaround Plan and how the work of all teams will be integrated to work together coherently. / The plan provides a general description of each school-level team (i.e. instructional leadership team, data team, etc.) OR a general description of how each team will support the management of the school’s Turnaround Plan and how the work of all teams will be integrated to work together coherently. / The plan only identifies members of the school-level teams (i.e. instructional leadership team, data team, etc.). It unclear how school teams will support the management of the school’s Turnaround Plan.
Strong - 4 / Adequate - 3 / Marginal - 2 / Weak – 1
9:
Professional Collaboration / The plan describes in detail: structures and opportunities for fostering staff input into school decisions AND initiatives to build relationships and two-way communication across staff and school teams. / The plan generally describes: structures and opportunities for fostering staff input into school decisions AND initiatives to build relationships and two-way communication across staff and school teams. / The plan generally describes: structures and opportunities for fostering staff input into school decisions OR initiatives to build relationships and two-way communication across staff and school teams. / The plan provides a limited description of: structures and opportunities for fostering staff input into school decisions AND initiatives to build relationships and two-way communication across staff and school teams.
Data Analysis for Selection of Supports and Intervention Model
Scoring Criteria: The extent to which the Turnaround Plan is based on a detailed analysis of current, accurate, and precise data, including but not limited to state assessments. The extent to which the proposed intervention model and district support strategies are based upon an analysis of data.
Strong – 4 / Adequate - 3 / Marginal - 2 / Weak – 1
10:
Data Analysis / The plan includes the results from a detailed and accurate data/needs analysis process that incorporated multiple sources of data including demographic, achievement, perceptual and observational (e.g. classroom instruction or use of teacher collaborative time, etc.) data, probed for causation, identified and prioritized critical issues aligned to each Turnaround Practice. / The plan includes the results from an adequate data/ needs analysis process based upon multiple sources of data including demographic, achievement, perceptual and observational (e.g. classroom instruction, use of teacher collaborative time, etc.) data and probed for causation. Critical issues under each Turnaround Practice are identified, but all may not be directly linked to the data analysis. / The plan includes the results from a marginal data/needs analysis process based upon only a few data sources. Critical issues under each Turnaround Practice are identified, but all may not be directly linked to the data analysis. / The plan lacks evidence that the district or school completed a comprehensive data/needs analysis.
11: Benchmarks Linked to Data / All implementation benchmarks are clearly described and explicitly linked to district and school-level data and needs analysis. / Most implementation benchmarks are clearly described and explicitly linked to district and school-level data and needs analysis. / Some of the implementation benchmarks are clearly described and generally linked to district and school-level data and needs analysis. / Few of the implementation benchmarks are clearly described and generally linked to district and school-level data and needs analysis.
12:
MAGs / All proposed MAGs are ambitious-yet-attainable and are clearly linked to a thorough analysis and understanding of the school’s current baseline data and identified strategies. / Most proposed MAGs are ambitious-yet-attainable and are clearly linked to a thorough analysis and understanding of the school’s current baseline data and identified strategies. / Most proposed MAGs are ambitious-yet-attainable but are not clearly linked to a thorough analysis and understanding of the school’s current baseline data and/or identified strategies. / Few of the proposed MAGs are ambitious and/or attainable and the connection to the school’s current baseline data and/or identified strategies is unclear.
Strategic and Actionable Approach
Scoring Criteria: The extent to which the Turnaround Plan displays a strategic and well-thought out approach that will lead to rapid and sustainable improvement in targeted schools. A strategic and actionable plan includes, but is not limited to: (1) a theory of action or logic model, (2) key strategies and action steps that together affect each Turnaround Practice, and (3) specific benchmarks to track progress and a strategy for monitoring progress.
Strong – 4 / Adequate - 3 / Marginal - 2 / Weak – 1
13:
Theory of Action / The plan describes a detailed and strategic theory of action focused on promoting rapid student achievement and building the school’s capacity to sustain efforts under each Turnaround Practice beyond the proposed funding schedule. / The plan describes a general theory of action focused on promoting rapid student achievement and building the school’s capacity to sustain efforts under each Turnaround Practice beyond the proposed funding schedule. / The plan’s theory of action is only marginally focused on promoting rapid student achievement and building the school’s capacity to sustain efforts under each Turnaround Practice beyond the proposed funding schedule. / The plan’s theory of action is not clearly focused on promoting rapid student achievement and building the school’s capacity to sustain efforts under each Turnaround Practice beyond the proposed funding schedule.